credited As

Saturday Night Live is celebrating it's 40th anniversary this year and it's had some very memorable cast members (Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Adam Sandler to name a few) at studio 8H, and then there are some people who are very memorable actors, but we all sort of forgot their brief moments on the sketch comedy.
1. Robert Downey Jr. (85-86)
NBC/Yahoo
Robert Downey Jr. as suitcase boy, giving a "confrontational monologue"...it's not all that surprising he lasted only 1 season. But he's clearly moved on to bigger and better things.
2. Anthony Michael Hall (85-86)
NBC/Yahoo
To this day, Anthony Michael Hall still holds the title for youngest cast member on SNL, having joined when he was only 17-years-old in order to break his "geek" film typecast. He later admit he'd underestimated how competitive the show was.
3. Gilbert Gottfried (80-81)
NBC/YouTube
We thought it was impossible to forget that voice, but it was on SNL for a year.
4. Damon Wayans (85-86)
NBC/Yahoo
Wayans is best known for his time on In loving Color, it's easy to forget the year he spent at SNL.
5. Jenny Slate (09-10)
NBC/YouTube
You may or may not remember her time on SNL, as it wasn't that long ago, but you may remember someone dropping the F-bomb on live TV for the first time on this show. That was her.
6. Ben Stiller (1989)
NBC/Yahoo
His time as a featured player was brief, but this Weekend Update review of Rain Man with SNL legend Mike Meyers was a shining moment.
7. Billy Crystal (84-85)
NBC/YouTube
If you've been following SNL since the early days, you might not have forgotten about Billy Crystal and the many characters he portrayed in his 1-season run, but maybe you forgot the time he got Mr. T and Hulk Hogan to crack up on live TV.
8. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (82-85)
NBC/Yahoo
Maybe you're obsessed with Veep or still haven't gotten over Seinfeld, either way with such an extensive career, it's easy to forget Julia's early days on SNL (though she was the youngest woman ever cast at at 21-years-old).
9. Sarah Silverman (93-94)
NBC/YouTube
While there aren't many (if any) videos of Sarah's stint (she did mainyl write) on SNL 22 years ago, she does say she's happy that doesn't define her career.
10. Joan Cusack (85-86)
NBC/Yahoo
Her short time on SNL wasn't a bump in the road, but actually the spark that ignited her 30+ year career.
11. Rob Riggle (04-05)
NBC/Yahoo
You may not always recognize Rob Riggle by name, but you'll easily remember him from 21 Jump Street and Step Brothers. During his short time on SNL, he did impressions of Larry the Cable Guy, Toby Keith, and Howard Dean.
12. David Koechner (95-96)
NBC/Hulu
Before his Anchorman days, he became buddies with Will Ferrell when they were both cast members on this show.
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Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman flew off with another seven top honours at the Broadcast Film Critics Association's 20th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards in Hollywood on Thursday (15Jan15). The movie picked up the event's first award for Best Acting Ensemble and went on to win another six accolades, including Best Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Score, while the film's star Michael Keaton added two more trophies to his collection - for Best Actor and Best Actor In A Comedy.
In his acceptance speech for the latter he noted, "Nobody is really better than anyone else, but I'll take this (award)."
The Grand Budapest Hotel, which, like Birdman, had picked up nine Oscar nominations earlier in the day, claimed three Critics Choice Awards, including Best Comedy, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design, while another Academy Awards favourite, Boyhood, scored four prizes - the top honour for Best Picture, Best Director (Richard Linklater), Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette), and Best Young Actor (Ellar Coltrane).
Other winners included Julianne Moore (Best Actress for Still Alice), J.K. Simmons (Best Supporting Actor for Whiplash), Bradley Cooper (Best Actor in an Action Movie for American Sniper), and Emily Blunt (Best Actress in an Action Movie for Edge of Tomorrow).
Chris Miller, the co-writer/director of The LEGO Movie had a very special reason to celebrate his win for Best Animated Movie, as it came just hours after the film was snubbed in the same category at the Oscar nominations.
He said, "What a rollercoaster of emotions today has been."
Meanwhile, special awards went to veteran director/producer Ron Howard, who was handed the Louis XIII Genius Award, Kevin Costner, who was feted with a Lifetime Achievement Award and Jessica Chastain, who was presented with the first ever MVP Award, celebrating her multiple roles in films throughout the year, including A Most Violent Year, Interstellar, Miss Julie, and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Best Picture - Boyhood
Best Actor - Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Best Actress - Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Best Acting Ensemble - cast of Birdman
Best Director - Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Best Original Screenplay - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo (Birdman)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)
Best Supporting Actor - J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)
Best Supporting Actress - Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Best Young Actor/Actress - Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood)
Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman)
Best Art Direction - Adam Stockhausen/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Editing - Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione (Birdman)
Best Costume Design - Milena Canonero (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Hair and Makeup - Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Visual Effects - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Best Animated Feature - The LEGO Movie
Best Action Movie - Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Actor In An Action Movie - Bradley Cooper (American Sniper)
Best Actress In An Action Movie - Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow)
Best Comedy - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Actor In A Comedy - Michael Keaton (Birdman)
Best Actress In A Comedy - Jenny Slate (Obvious Child)
Best Sci-fi/Horror Movie - Interstellar
Best Foreign Language Film - Force Majeure (Sweden)
Best Documentary Feature - Life Itself
Best Song - Glory by Common and John Legend (Selma)
Best Score - Antonio Sanchez (Birdman)
Louis XIII Genius Award - Ron Howard
Lifetime Achievement Award - Kevin Costner
MVP Award - Jessica Chastain.

Natalie Portman is reportedly in talks to join the new Steve Jobs biopic. The Black Swan star's potential role has yet to be revealed, but it is expected to be a major part in the film, according to Deadline.com.
The movie, which is based on Walter Isaacson's biography of the late Apple boss, has faced a number of road blocks in recent months after both Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale reportedly dropped out of the project.
Shame star Michael Fassbender is now believed to be the favourite to take over the role of Jobs.
In addition, bosses at Sony Pictures unexpectedly dumped the film from their slate last week (ends21Nov14), but executives at Universal Pictures picked up the production on Monday (24Nov14).
The biopic will be directed by Danny Boyle, with Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin taking charge of the screenplay.
Portman's No Strings Attached co-star Ashton Kutcher previously played the technology mogul in 2013 biopic Jobs.

Hit thriller Gone Girl and sci-fi action movie Guardians Of The Galaxy are among the top nominees at the 2014 New Now Next Awards. Gone Girl, based on Gillian Flynn's 2012 book of the same name, has been shortlisted twice for Best New Lead Film Actress for Rosamund Pike and Carrie Coon, alongside Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle), Jennie Slate (Obvious Child) and Natalie Dormer (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1), while author Flynn is up for Best New Screenwriter.
Meanwhile, James Gunn will battle it out for the title of Best Motion Picture By a New Filmmaker for Guardians of the Galaxy, and his leading man Chris Pratt will compete for Best New Lead Film Actor, facing off with Miles Teller (Whiplash), Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood), Dylan O'Brien (The Maze Runner) and Ansel Elgort (The Fault In Our Stars).
Movie stars also dominated the theatre acting categories, with Bryan Cranston (All The Way), Rupert Grint (It's Only a Play) and Michael Cera (This Is Our Youth) up for Best New Broadway Lead Actor, while Rose Byrne (You Can't Take It With You), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Real Thing) and Michelle Williams (Cabaret) feature in the female equivalent.
In the TV section, acting nominees include Orange is the New Black's Lorraine Toussaint, House of Cards' Molly Parker, Pedro Pascal from Game of Thrones and The Leftovers' Justin Theroux, while Gwen Stefani's turn on The Voice has earned her an unexpected nod in the Best New Television Personality category.
Music nominees feature the likes of Iggy Azalea, her Fancy collaborator Charli XCX and Meghan Trainor for Best New Musician (Female), with Nick Jonas, Sam Smith and Paolo Nutini leading the way in the male category.
The annual awards show highlights the best new talent in pop culture. Winners will be determined by public vote and announced during a ceremony in December (14).

Richard Linklater's acclaimed movie Boyhood has landed four nominations for the 2014 Gotham Independent Film Awards including a Best Feature nod. The drama, which took the director 12 years to complete and stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette will compete against Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Love is Strange and Under The Skin in the top category.
Hawke has also scored a Best Actor nomination for his role in the film, alongside Bill Hader for The Skeleton Twins, A Most Violent Year's Oscar Isaac, Michael Keaton for Birdman and Miles Teller for Whiplash, while Arquette is up against Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Beyond the Lights), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Under the Skin's Scarlett Johansson and Mia Wasikowska (Tracks) in the Best Actress category.
Nightcrawler's Riz Ahmed, Blue Ruin's Macon Blair, Boyhood's Ellar Coltrane, Wish I Was Here's Joey King, Obvious Child's Jenny Slate and Dear White People's Tessa Thompson will battle it out for Breakthrough Actor.
The prizegiving ceremony will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on 1 December (14). Actress Tilda Swinton and Foxcatcher director Bennett Miller with be honoured with special tributes at the event.

She commanded attention as a strong female voice in Obvious Child and she warmed our hearts as the voice of the cutest little shell we've ever seen (her third Marcel the Shell with Shoes On video was just released), but on Twitter Jenny Slate is quite simply the voice that’s in our heads.
Chances are if you’ve thought it, she’s tweeted it. Where normal folks might filter their scattered musings on social media, Jenny lets it all out in hilarious 140-character truth bombs. Here are 20 of her scarily relatable thoughts that will make you want to claim her as your new wacky best friend, ASAP:
1. She's brutally honest about the trials of packing a suitcase.
I have a really good way to pack my suitcase which is to be crazy, pack mostly party dresses, get super bored, then throw in dirty t-shirts.
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) October 15, 2014
2. She gets real about her yoga needs. (And the typical Brooklyn yoga crowd).
What is a nice place for Yoga in Williamsburg? I want to put my butt in the air w a lot of beautiful strangers who do internet for a living
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) October 17, 2014
3. She has some warranted confusion RE: Comic Con.
ComicCon is just a fest 4 nothing&amp;everything at once? Like, it has tv, cars,vid games, movies&amp;geeks but also SO DOES THE WORLD SO WHAT IS IT
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) October 12, 2014
4. She's also completely baffled by fantasy football.
What is fantasy football WHAT IS IT WHAT IS IT WHAT THE F IS IT WHHHHAAAAAT IS ITTTTT
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 27, 2014
5. She's not shy about sharing her weekend plans.
Doin that classic "Sitting on the toilet in my nightgown, making tiny poops, reading a novel on a Sunday morn" thing that makes me ME, BRO!
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) October 12, 2014
6. She acknowledges a deep and abiding attachment to her phone. (How else are you going to tweet and Instagram and do all of the things?)
I wish I had a fairy godmother to whip my phone out of my hands and yell "Disengage! Put on pants!"
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) August 29, 2014
7. And she perfectly expresses (IN ALL CAPS) the sheer panic of losing said phone. The struggle is real.
I LOST MY PHONE &amp; CAN CONFIRM THAT I AM 100% NOT OK WITH IT AND FEEL THAT I HAVE LOST MY SPINE OR FACE OR SOMETHING ESSENTIAL LIKE THAT
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 21, 2014
8. She understands the fundamental problem with text messages.
Shout out to text messages and how they make every argument just like 100% nuclear.
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) August 27, 2014
9. She’s not afraid to recount an embarrassing story.
Ive reached pinnacle of shame: Just asked my dad"When will i be the person i know that i am"&amp;ripped a giant fart by mistake THIS IS ALL I AM
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 14, 2014
10. She makes a pretty sound assessment of a typical airport experience.
I'm in a onesie in the airport and I have very little idea of what is going on, and yet I'm NOT a baby.
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) August 19, 2014
11. She’s not ashamed to admit she’s not perfect.
You know what would look great w the weird skin problems I have? Jet lag, constipation &amp; just a bunch of weird other ppls issues.
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) October 3, 2014
12. She ponders the questions on everyone’s mind.
Did Michael Jackson know how to drive a car
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 17, 2014
13. She’s a sucker for the emotional powers of a Ryan Gosling romance flick.
Ppl must think there's a super weepy lil pig in my hotel room bc Im snorting&amp;crying w such a ferocity bc of The Notebook. IM A PIG FOR LOVE
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) October 18, 2014
14. She’s no doubt a cool aunt, but she’s also ok with not having kids. (And to be fair, a DHL van does kind of look like a school bus).
Waiting to pick niece up from school bus, thought a DHL van was the bus I AM CLEARLY CHILDLESS ITS FINE
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 12, 2014
15. She gets easily distracted while eating chips.
Just said HUH?!? Really loudly bc I was eating chips&amp; they were loud in my head&amp;thought somebody said something but nobody was talking to me
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) August 7, 2014
16. She’s not on board with certain technological advancements.
Congrats, dorks! U made yet another computer watch thingy that I don't even care about *FARRRRRT NOISE* AND YES THIS IS LITERALLY HOW I FEEL
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 10, 2014
17. She has bizarre stress dreams involving other celebrities.
Well, after repeated dreams that I missed my plane bc I was trying on rompers for Matt Damon&amp;he wasn't even paying attention, I'm up early.
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 26, 2014
18. She understands the addictive qualities of reality TV.
I've just discovered a show called Love &amp; Hip Hop Hollywood and it is BLOWING MY MINNNNND
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) September 27, 2014
19. She asks loaded questions.
Am I becoming weird and when will I know if I am
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) August 6, 2014
20. She realizes her mind is an intense place. If her brain is a volcano, her tweets must be the lava. We’re just thankful we get to witness the eruption!
I'd love to describe what it's like in my head but how do you speak "volcano"
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) July 30, 2014
So maybe we can’t be Jenny’s BFF in real life, but we can at least pretend we're besties on Twitter.
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ABC
Shutting off news reports of the Iran-Contra affair, turning down the abrasive rock stylings of the Beastie Boys, and peering through the perpetual mist of airborne cocaine particles that was inherent to 1987 California, film and television director Jeff Franklin dreamed of a simpler time. A time riddled with milkmen and paperboys, a time wherein three grown imbeciles could band together to raise a triad of blonde, plucky sisters together without incurring questioning unto their judgmental capabilities. Even in a time as cynical as the late '80s and early '90s, Franklin's creation Full House managed to thrive on the simple, wholesome, drama-free bounties of pleasant West Coast tomfoolery. Back then, the Tanners and co. didn't need postmodern satire, sociopolitical undertones, sudden character deaths, love triangles, or overarching themes of any kind — they relied (and thrived) simply on being pleasant. But today would be a different story.
With John Stamos pushing to revive the highly successful ABC sitcom (via TV Guide) — in the wake of the Disney Channel's creation of Girl Meets World, no less — we are looking at the considerable, albeit presently quite tentative, possibility that such an entity might in time come to be. But we can't help but wonder how a show about three ceaselessly well-meaning kooks and their frighteningly saccharine communal daughters would fare amid today's TV slate: a community of shows where crooked and criminal, if not entirely amoral, heroes and heroine are the norm rather than the exception.
Cynicism is the life blood of today's TV. Even in our comedic fare — think of Community, Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother, and even The Big Bang Theory — do we see the proclivity to mock and deconstruct, to tear apart the very fabric of shows like Full House (happy family bouncing from one typical sitcom plotline to the next week after week). Our characters aren't looking to reclaim the era of milkmen and paperboys the way Danny Tanner was, they're looking to shoot down the blind-eyed peurility upheld by this allegedly superior past. So far gone into the muck of irony is today's television viewer that Full House couldn't seem earnest no matter how hard it tried... or, better yet, how naturally earnestness came to it.
ABC
But even if we can accept the Tanner/Katsopolis/Gladstone/Gibbler tribe as impeccably genuine, what would be our motivation to watch week after week? Full House, so appropriately named after an immobile edifice, was a show that celebrated its static nature. Every time you set foot into that San Francisco dwelling, you were treated to the same consequence-free merriment that you caught episodes and seasons prior. Yes, this was a treat, not a relegation. But today, we yearn for that through-line momentum. We watch, if for no other reason, to find out what happens next in the chaotic and kinetic, oftentimes toxic, forward narratives of Walter White, Carrie Mathison, and Tyrion Lannister. Hell, one of the most popular shows on today is called Scandal. If that's not telling, then I don't know what is.
Without even a central romance into which to sink our teeth — could we really see Danny, Joey, or any of the girls upholding one half of a riveting will-they-won't-they? — we're hardly draw to "find out what happens on the next exciting episode of Full House," at least not with the same verve to which modern TV has fueled our communal addiction.
Lacking that intertwining drama, today's Full House could seem devoid of life force. Without the scathing bite of sarcasm, it could come off lazy and unclever. And with such an adherence to the traditional format — that which today's comedy routinely turns inside out for sport — it could render not nostalgic but wholly outdated. When Full House came to be in 1987, it was then a throwback, a revival of a simpler time. So what would it be now? A throwback to a throwback? A revival of a revival? A tribute to a time simpler than a time that was simpler? See, just trying to identify it feels like a lost cause.
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The 1990s were a virtual golden age of televised animation... at least as far as the people who grew up during that decade are concerned. Nickelodeon was no doubt the principal force in churning out quality cartoon programming during the '90s, giving us generation defining entertainment in its slate of original Nicktoons. But which of these memorable entries are our favorites and least favorites? Check out our complete ranking of '90s Nicktoons, and chime in below with your own preferences!
13. CatDog
Nickelodeon
"What if... a cat and a dog were Siamese twins?""Oh, yeah! I guess... I guess that could be something."It wasn't. It was nothing.
12. Oh Yeah! Cartoons
Nickelodeon
This anthology series is easily the least memorable entry from the '90s Nicktoons slate, but escapes the last place slot for introducing the world to some of the next generation's stronger entries, most notably The Fairly Odd Parents.
11. The Wild Thornberrys
Nickelodeon
Despite an interesting premise and the whimsy that is Tim Curry's voice over work, The Wild Thornberrys never felt quite like it was on our level. Unlike some of its favorable company, the series always felt like a show that some displaced adults thought that kids would like, but never quite understood why they should.
10. Rocket Power
Nickelodeon
Call it my lasting aversion to bro culture, but Rocket Power always seemed a little much. Never proving itself particularly clever, funny, or original, the show banked way too hard on just trying to be cool. It was, I guess, but not that cool.
9. Aaahh!! Real Monsters
Nickelodeon
Once in a while, Aaahh!! Real Monsters was enjoyable enough to check in on. A wide variety of weird, crudely drawn creatures living beneath the Staten Island's Fresh Kills Landfill, surfacing only to scare the wits out of humans (not out of malice, but out for the academic merit in the trade) is good for an occasional chuckle, but wore thin pretty quickly.
8. KaBlam!
Nickelodeon
For the blossoming comic book fan, KaBlam! had a special appeal. But while the anthology series had a few consistently delightful shorts (like Action League Now!) it was very clear why most members of its ensemble never earned their own series proper.
7. SpongeBob SquarePants
Though really a cartoon belonging to the post-'90s youth, SpongeBob's debut in '99 makes it viable for ranking. In truth, the show has evolved into something relatively impressive, even if its unfathomable giddiness can deter viewers brought up on the darker fare of Nickelodeon's earlier days (as you'll see below...).
6. Rugrats
Nickelodeon
The only real fault of the technically stellar and remarkably earnest cartoon is that we got too old for it. Sure, Rugrats never talked down to its audience, nor did it insinuate that a young slate of stars entailed a young demographic of viewers. But the show, a very funny exercise in embracing new perspectives on the day-to-day, just didn't do quite enough to keep us hooked as we went onto more mature fare.
5. The Ren &amp; Stimpy Show
Nickelodeon
Easily the most divisive show on the list, Ren &amp; Stimpy can be respected even by those who find it disgusting for its sheer ambition... and weirdness. Though heavy-handed and abrasive in its comedy, the show had no shortage of imagination.
4. Doug
Nickelodeon
Required viewing for anybody growing up with a double dose of anxiety, Doug has earned a very special place in the heart of most children of the '90s. The original Nicktoon was sweet, ethical, and effectively wacky while maintaining unmatched sincerity. Though a viable contender for the top tier of this list, Doug is given the No. 4 spot for not quite managing to escape the myopic, claustrophobic feeling that its superior brethren were able to dash to pieces. But still one of the greats.
3. Hey Arnold!
In a way, Hey Arnold! was the precise complement to Doug. Whereas Arnold's Bluffingtonian predecessor struggled with the neuroses within him, the football-headed stoic played the sane man in a world of crazy. Cool, calm, and good-hearted, Arnold navigated a New York City filled with abject lunacy, charged with maintaining justice and order throughout each of his journeys. Colorful and funny, though always a bit melancholy, Hey Arnold! is Nickelodeon's answer to beat poetry.
2. The Angry Beavers
Nickelodeon
A dark horse No. 2, but truly the most clever and mature cartoon to air on Nickelodeon. Riddled with whip-smart dialogue and ahead-of-its-time pop culture parody, as well as unparalleled devotion to continuity as far as these series go, Angry Beavers is an overlooked gem among the more flashy or earthy Nicktoons.
1. Rocko's Modern Life
Nickelodeon
There are many programs on this list that rival Rocko's Modern Life in weirdness, that come close in mania, that top it in empathy, and that give it a run for its money in wit. So why, then, does it stand out in our minds as the very best work of art to come out of Nickelodeon's animated community to date? Why is some small-scale, scatterbrained show about a mild-mannered wallaby dealing with mundane qualms like laundry, food shopping, recycling, romance, and breaking his pal out of Heck the most piercingly lovable title that the network has to its name? We don't know what gives Rocko that wow factor, but we can guess.
Which is your favorite Nicktoon?

Hollywood.com Staff/Syndicated by: Warner Bros.
Lauren Bacall, an icon of Hollywood past and present, was reported dead at Tuesday evening (via TMZ), with a stroke being labeled the cause of her passing. At 89 years old, Bacall remained an active presence on the big screen; the actress had one project in development upon her death: debut director Tom Konkle's Trouble Is My Business.
Although Bacall's recent slate has included triumphs like Lars von Trier's Dogtooth and Manderlay, as well as Jonathan Glazer's Birth, she will always be best known and most celebrated for her early endeavors. We look foremost to The Big Sleep, the noir thriller that pit Bacall against Humphrey Bogart, one of the few talents who could match her sheer cinematic power.
Through the decades to follow, Bacall starred in noteworthy entries like How to Marry a Millionaire, Written on the Wind, and Murder on the Orient Express, and later The Mirror Has Two Faces. In every picture, Bacall proved herself a dynamite purveyor of thrills, drama, comedy, and romance. From the dawn of her career on through the recent years, Bacall was a venerated force in show business, and one without whom we'd never have some of the greatest pieces of film.

Paramount Pictures
As the fall draws closer, it brings with it the start of Oscar season, when every studio unveils its biggest, buzziest and most dramatic films in an attempt to earn some recognition on the biggest night in Hollywood. And while every year does turn out a great deal of excellent films and incredible performances, at a certain point they all start to feel the same, with one domestic drama blending into another and period pieces all attempting to outshine each other. But there is some variety hidden amongst the Oscar bait, with some films providing original, interesting stories or creative twists on classic plots. In case you’re looking to add some variety to your fall film lineup, we’ve run down the best, most original awards bait hitting theaters this fall. Once December hits, however, it's every moviegoer for himself.
Interstellar Smack dab in the middle of Oscar season, Christopher Nolan will finally unveil his latest epic, Interstellar. Part post-apocalyptic drama, part space opera, part Hollywood blockbuster, and Phase II of the McConaissance, the film follows a group of explorers who set off in for a wormhole that will allow them to travel from one solar system to another in search of resources that can save the earth now that it’s run out of food. So, you know, just your usual low-key, easy to follow, low-stakes story. Opens: November 7
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Every year, there’s at least one Oscar baity film the centers on a relationship falling apart, but The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby puts a new spin on that old classic by creating an epic, two-part film that tells the story from both his (James McAvoy) and her (Jessica Chastain) perspectives. Since premiering at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews, we’ve been waiting impatiently for our chance to see the film. As it turns out, we’ll actually get two: a one-film version which blends both sides together will be released along with the original two-film version. Opens: September 12
The Boxtrolls Of all the films being released at the end of 2014 – war epics, biopics, highly-anticipated comebacks – one of the most exciting is an animated film about the friendly trolls who live under the sewers of a small English village. That’s because The Boxtrolls is the latest film from Laika, the stop-motion studio that has made such wonderful films as Coraline and ParaNorman. Like its predecessors, The Boxtrolls looks like an incredibly detailed, magical, funny adventure, but unlike them, we’re hoping that the studio will finally be able to get the recognition they deserve for their labors of love. And with no Disney or Pixar films to compete, they might finally have a shot. Opens: September 26
Gone Girl We know, we know: you’re probably sick of hearing about Gone Girl. But the buzz surrounding the film, its stars, the book it’s based on doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon, so you might as well embrace it. Besides, it gives us yet another opportunity to study the enigma that is Ben Affleck’s career. Will he get a third Oscar for this? Will it finally make people take him seriously as an actor and filmmaker? Are we all going to stop praising him the second the first trailer for Batman V. Superman comes out? Nobody knows. Opens: October 3
Sony Pictures Releasing
Fury It wouldn’t be awards season without a World War II drama, and 2014 is no exception. However, in addition to the typical slate of inspiring biopics and domestic dramas about the home-front, Brad Pitt and David Ayer are offering Fury. It’s a small-scale – well, as small scale as a world war gets – film about the lives and missions of a single tank crew tasked with venturing behind enemy lines, and it features a cast of acclaimed, yet underappreciated actors like Logan Lerman, Jon Berenthal, and Michael Pena. Just when you thought you’d seen every single war drama that’s been made, there finally comes one that’s actually intriguing. Opens: November 14
Kill the Messenger His Avengers co-star Robert Downey Jr. might have a higher-profile film opening that day, but we’re much more interested in Jeremy Renner’s Kill the Messenger. Based on the true story of Gary Webb, a reporter who uncovered the CIA’s connection to the Nicaraguan drug trade, the film centers on the manhunt that Webb became a part of after going public with his evidence. It’s the biggest, most intense role that Renner has had since The Hurt Locker, and after years of being overlooked in favor of his showier co-star, we’re excited to see him get some of the attention he deserves. Opens: October 10
Birdman Everyone love a comeback story, right? Well, how about one that’s a little more surreal? That’s what Michael Keaton is going for with his upcoming film Birdman, which takes places over the course of the several days in which washed-up actor Riggan Thompson, who made his name as superhero, attempts to mount a comeback with a play that he wrote, directed and is starring in. With Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu at the helm and a cast featuring Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Edward Norton, we’d be interested in this even if it weren’t Keaton’s first big film in years. Opens: October 17
Beyond the Lights After winning over audiences everywhere with her breakthrough role in Amma Asante’s Belle, Gugu Mbatha-Raw is set to prove that she can do more than just period pieces with Beyond the Lights. Mbatha-Raw plays Noni, a Rihanna-like pop star struggling with being a puppet for her pushy stage mom and greedy record executives, who finds joy in a relationship with down-to-earth cop Kaz (Nate Parker). The story might be familiar to anyone who saw Britney Spears’ “Lucky” video, but it’s the perfect opportunity for Mbatha-Raw to really showcase her talent with a role that requires her to sing, dance, fall in love, and break our hearts. Opens: November 14
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